Andrew Cowie
@istathar.space
Systems Engineer focused on space exploration, platform operations, and mission critical procedures. Linux, Rust, Observability. Ex 🇨🇦 army, 🇺🇲 and 🇬🇧 tech, 🇦🇺 banking. Supporting the cause of peace and freedom at NAFO and trying to get better at Warhammer 40k
Pinned
Andrew Cowie
@istathar.space
· Jan 15
Andrey Kostin, head of VTB, called rumors of freezing Russian bank deposits absurd, citing no economic basis:
"Do you understand that this is essentially an absurd idea?' They told me: 'That's precisely why it could appear in Russia.' If we follow that logic, then sure, it's possible," Kostin said.
"Do you understand that this is essentially an absurd idea?' They told me: 'That's precisely why it could appear in Russia.' If we follow that logic, then sure, it's possible," Kostin said.
The first rule of Soviet Russia is that when they deny something is going to happen, it's going to happen.
Unless you deny that you're going to deny it. In which case you're not going to do whatever you said you weren't going to do, and instead are going to do it because you said you wouldn't.
Unless you deny that you're going to deny it. In which case you're not going to do whatever you said you weren't going to do, and instead are going to do it because you said you wouldn't.
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
-Comrade President, one our submarines has sunk
-I am told this is what they are supposed to do
-Yes, Comrade President. But there is a nuance.
-I am told this is what they are supposed to do
-Yes, Comrade President. But there is a nuance.
December 16, 2025 at 11:41 AM
-Comrade President, one our submarines has sunk
-I am told this is what they are supposed to do
-Yes, Comrade President. But there is a nuance.
-I am told this is what they are supposed to do
-Yes, Comrade President. But there is a nuance.
My kids are ropeable. They have old hand-me-down mobile devices to use as music players and get to listen to their own songs. The 🇦🇺 government's social media ban means that YouTube Music doesn't work anymore. They can't sign in. Daughter is so angry. Little boy is crying. Well done #auspol
December 12, 2025 at 1:36 AM
My kids are ropeable. They have old hand-me-down mobile devices to use as music players and get to listen to their own songs. The 🇦🇺 government's social media ban means that YouTube Music doesn't work anymore. They can't sign in. Daughter is so angry. Little boy is crying. Well done #auspol
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
Have fun with the World Cup and the Olympics!
NEW: Five years of social media history is only a fraction of what the US Government will shortly demand of overseas visitors.
The full requirements will end tourism in the United States.
Below is the full, mind-blowing list.
🚨THEY. WANT. YOUR. DNA.🚨
1/
The full requirements will end tourism in the United States.
Below is the full, mind-blowing list.
🚨THEY. WANT. YOUR. DNA.🚨
1/
December 11, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Have fun with the World Cup and the Olympics!
Today I learned of the existence of a religious cult who, having spent their lives suffering and cursed by the "Blue Screen of Death", are fervent in the belief that someday there is coming a "Blue Screen of Life". Someday. Faith endures.
December 11, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Today I learned of the existence of a religious cult who, having spent their lives suffering and cursed by the "Blue Screen of Death", are fervent in the belief that someday there is coming a "Blue Screen of Life". Someday. Faith endures.
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
![Comic. [Two people in front of projected satellite image. A small portion of the image is pixelated squares.] PERSON 1: Wait, when was this imagery taken? Is this censorship the work of the contractor? One of our people? *Foreign actors!?* PERSON 2 with ponytail: Do we know who’s operating a facility at that location? PERSON 1: We can’t find *anything*. [caption] My hobby: Setting up big colored panels in the middle of nowhere as a prank on remote sensing people](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreib6md2yc7x32taznh2u4feo27rltazabjco4fer3c6mni3soe5tfa@jpeg)
December 2, 2025 at 12:13 AM
"A real pièce de résistance. The poet's placement of whitespace to create a real sense of place is extraordinary, and the outstanding use of colour brings the work to the next level."
December 8, 2025 at 12:27 AM
"A real pièce de résistance. The poet's placement of whitespace to create a real sense of place is extraordinary, and the outstanding use of colour brings the work to the next level."
There is a Postgres extension called PLV8 allowing you to write stored procedures in JavaScript instead of in PLSQL. Stored procedures were already utterly anathema to building reliable systems. This is worse. Not only can you not test anything, it's in a language in which you can't test anything.
December 6, 2025 at 12:20 AM
There is a Postgres extension called PLV8 allowing you to write stored procedures in JavaScript instead of in PLSQL. Stored procedures were already utterly anathema to building reliable systems. This is worse. Not only can you not test anything, it's in a language in which you can't test anything.
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
No one will stop me from defending our freedoms.
November 29, 2025 at 1:02 AM
No one will stop me from defending our freedoms.
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
We have a lot in common with the United States right now. We also don’t have a GDP, employment or inflation report to share. Our GDP gross domestic poop (guano) is usually tracked, but our Government shut down for Macaroni Breeding season..a real freak off (bottles of sperm whale oil everywhere)
November 25, 2025 at 11:43 PM
We have a lot in common with the United States right now. We also don’t have a GDP, employment or inflation report to share. Our GDP gross domestic poop (guano) is usually tracked, but our Government shut down for Macaroni Breeding season..a real freak off (bottles of sperm whale oil everywhere)
Upgrading to Fedora 43 #linux Wayland is now the default. That's awesome, but it wrecked havoc on systems with Nvidia GPUs. Magic incantation to get Gnome Shell to work again:
ENV{DEVNAME}=="/dev/dri/card0", TAG+="mutter-device-preferred-primary"
into /etc/udev/rules.d/61-mutter-primary-gpu.rules
ENV{DEVNAME}=="/dev/dri/card0", TAG+="mutter-device-preferred-primary"
into /etc/udev/rules.d/61-mutter-primary-gpu.rules
November 17, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Upgrading to Fedora 43 #linux Wayland is now the default. That's awesome, but it wrecked havoc on systems with Nvidia GPUs. Magic incantation to get Gnome Shell to work again:
ENV{DEVNAME}=="/dev/dri/card0", TAG+="mutter-device-preferred-primary"
into /etc/udev/rules.d/61-mutter-primary-gpu.rules
ENV{DEVNAME}=="/dev/dri/card0", TAG+="mutter-device-preferred-primary"
into /etc/udev/rules.d/61-mutter-primary-gpu.rules
Friendly Local Game Store only allocated 4% of the Space Wolves "Wolf Scouts" vs T'au Empire "Stealth Suits" box set they requested based on customer preorders. Really makes you wonder why GW even bothers with making FOMO boxes. Guess I'll buy the kids Lego for Christmas instead? #warhammer40k
November 7, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Friendly Local Game Store only allocated 4% of the Space Wolves "Wolf Scouts" vs T'au Empire "Stealth Suits" box set they requested based on customer preorders. Really makes you wonder why GW even bothers with making FOMO boxes. Guess I'll buy the kids Lego for Christmas instead? #warhammer40k
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
If you think IPv6 got rolled out before the rise of the machines and subsequent apocalypse, you‘re hopelessly optimistic and I love that for you
November 7, 2025 at 4:23 AM
If you think IPv6 got rolled out before the rise of the machines and subsequent apocalypse, you‘re hopelessly optimistic and I love that for you
And a happy International Dentist Appreciation Day to all who observe the holiday.
October 31, 2025 at 9:41 PM
And a happy International Dentist Appreciation Day to all who observe the holiday.
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
Another loud victory that disappeared faster than they could celebrate it.
October 24, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Another loud victory that disappeared faster than they could celebrate it.
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
5/ Not surprisingly, this doesn't help with morale or developing interpersonal relationships: "Even, fuck, [it's like if] we've become friends, he's the only one I've ever been friends with. Like, okay, [even] your best friend, you have to do it."
October 23, 2025 at 8:07 PM
5/ Not surprisingly, this doesn't help with morale or developing interpersonal relationships: "Even, fuck, [it's like if] we've become friends, he's the only one I've ever been friends with. Like, okay, [even] your best friend, you have to do it."
And a very happy International Type-Your-Password-Into-The-Search-Bar-And-So-Now-You-Get-To-Change-It Day to all who observe. May your upper case, numbers, and special characters bring you happiness and joy.
October 20, 2025 at 4:02 AM
And a very happy International Type-Your-Password-Into-The-Search-Bar-And-So-Now-You-Get-To-Change-It Day to all who observe. May your upper case, numbers, and special characters bring you happiness and joy.
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
the sanity of google software
October 14, 2025 at 2:38 PM
the sanity of google software
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
I can't imagine this is actually going to have any effect but I enjoy yelling into a box that's ... going to be summarized by AI into something that encourages some google PM to keep stuffing more AI down people's throats
October 11, 2025 at 12:37 AM
I can't imagine this is actually going to have any effect but I enjoy yelling into a box that's ... going to be summarized by AI into something that encourages some google PM to keep stuffing more AI down people's throats
Reposted by Andrew Cowie
South Korea has lost 858 terabytes of government data after a fire destroyed its government data center and there were no backups.
quasa.io/media/south-...
quasa.io/media/south-...
South Korea's Catastrophic Data Center Fire: 858 Terabytes of Government Data Lost Forever Due to No Backup
The fire has ignited calls for overhaul - stricter battery protocols, mandatory offsite backups, and lithium-ion audits worldwide.
quasa.io
October 8, 2025 at 5:45 PM
South Korea has lost 858 terabytes of government data after a fire destroyed its government data center and there were no backups.
quasa.io/media/south-...
quasa.io/media/south-...
The real question is "who is Kenny?" followed by "who killed Kenny?". Poor Kenny, we hardly knew you. #warhammer40k
October 8, 2025 at 11:37 PM
The real question is "who is Kenny?" followed by "who killed Kenny?". Poor Kenny, we hardly knew you. #warhammer40k
Did anyone notice that the centerpiece model of this year's #warhammer40k Christmas battleforce box is ... not a Captain, not a guy waving a flag, not a giant stompy Dreadnaught, but ... wait for it ... a Space Marines Lieutenant! Truly they are the heroes of the Imperium.
October 7, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Did anyone notice that the centerpiece model of this year's #warhammer40k Christmas battleforce box is ... not a Captain, not a guy waving a flag, not a giant stompy Dreadnaught, but ... wait for it ... a Space Marines Lieutenant! Truly they are the heroes of the Imperium.
New T'au "Stealth Suits" and Space Wolves "Wolf Scouts" models coming in the next Kill Team box. They look fantastic! #warhammer40k
October 3, 2025 at 1:54 PM
New T'au "Stealth Suits" and Space Wolves "Wolf Scouts" models coming in the next Kill Team box. They look fantastic! #warhammer40k